The price you will pay for getting Windows 10 for free.

[nlinecomputers]

Microsoft Tech reporter Mary Jo Foley outlines how Microsoft plans on providing support for Windows 10 and which support options will be available for which SKUs/versions of Windows.

It would seem to be that there are going to be three Update support paths. Current Branch, Current Branch for Business(CBB), and Long Term Support Branch (LTSB).

Current Branch means that any updates and new features will roll out immediately and you don't get the choice to refuse them. Full automatic updates and the adding of new features.

CBB users will have the option to delay installing updates and be able to use tools like WSUS to help manage updates. Even keeping the Patch Tuesday schedule. But even they will have to take updates at some point or risk not getting future security updates.

LTSB users will only get security updates.

What version of Windows 10 you purchase will determine what branches you can choose. Win 10 Home will only get the option of the Current Branch. Win 10 Professional will get to chose either CB or CBB. Only Windows 10 Enterprise will have LTSB as a choice.

If you take the free upgrade to Windows 10 your ONLY option will be the Current Build. No CBB and certainly no LTSB option. (And this is just my speculation not MJF's but I bet that the only free version of Windows 10 will be Windows 10 Home.)

You can read her full article on this here: http://www.zdnet.com/article/piecing-together-the-windows-as-a-service-puzzle-for-windows-10/

 

[ohio_grad_06]

So I wonder for someone like me, I did the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for 40 bucks in 2012, then to 8.1 from 8.0. So when the upgrade goes live I theoretically should get Windows 10 Pro?

 

[nlinecomputers]

So I wonder for someone like me, I did the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for 40 bucks in 2012, then to 8.1 from 8.0. So when the upgrade goes live I theoretically should get Windows 10 Pro?

I'm not convinced that they will offer a FREE version of Pro because they don't want the freebies to be on any update path other than the Current Branch. Home is already set that way so it makes since that they would only offer Home as the freebie. But I could be wrong and they might offer pro as well but it will have that limit of only being able to use the CB and not switch to the CBB branch that has more control for IT admins. Would you want that handicap? I wouldn't.

 

[Porthos]

7 home or lower and 8.1 core get 10 home.
7 pro or ultimate and 8.1 pro go to 10 pro.

First, here is the list of editions that were announced last week and free upgrade/licensing info:

• Windows 10 Home for consumers and BYOD scenarios, available under the free upgrade
• Windows 10 Pro for small and lower mid-size businesses, available under the free upgrade
• Windows 10 Enterprise for Mid-size and large enterprises, available under VL
• Windows 10 Education designed to meet the needs of schools – teachers, students, staff, and administrators, available under VL
• Windows 10 Mobile for consumer, small, mid-size and large enterprises and academic institutions, available under OEM
• Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise for mid-size and large enterprises with IoT scenarios, available under OEM (IoT), VL

Secondly, she lays out the version of Windows 7/8.1 and what they are eligible to upgrade to under Windows 10:

• Microsoft will offer a free upgrade to Windows 10 for qualified Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices in the first year. After the first year, upgrades will be paid via boxed product and VL Upgrades.
• Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium devices upgrade to Windows 10 Home
• Windows 8/8.1 Pro and Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate devices upgrade to Windows 10 Pro
• If upgraded within the first 12 months following launch, the device will receive ongoing Windows 10 updates for free for the life of that device
• Excludes Windows Enterprise and RT devices
• The free Windows 10 upgrade is delivered through Windows Update; domain-joined machines can manually get the update via Windows Update. The upgrade cannot be deployed through WSUS.

http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/...ys-out-windows-10-upgrade-paths-and-scenarios

 

[nlinecomputers]

Yes but you'll note that Richard Hay mentions that his source for that article from M$ has been pulled. So maybe/maybe not....

 

[nlinecomputers]

http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-...able-to-reserve-their-free-copy-of-windows-10

 

[NYJimbo]

Win 10 Home will only get the option of the Current Branch. Win 10 Professional will get to chose either CB or CBB.

I guess I will be paying for Win 10 Professional then.

 

[brandonkick]

So that makes three things I am unsure of:

If you read the link from post #6 (two above this one) it says Win 10 will be
free for anyone with a VALID license? I thought microsoft was touting that they
would be giving the new OS to users of pirated copies of windows as well?

Is windows 10 going to be free "during" the first year or free "for" the first year?

Meaning, if you get it during the first year of it's release you "have it for life" OR
if you get it during the first year, the first year of usage is free? Big difference?

Lastly,

With the "free" upgrade "for/during the first year" will ALL of the free versions,
home, pro, business ect... have the current branch update path? Meaning if you
opt to get windows 10 for free, are you stuck with the current branch path even
if you were able to get windows 10 pro?

 

[nlinecomputers]

So that makes three things I am unsure of:

If you read the link from post #6 (two above this one) it says Win 10 will be
free for anyone with a VALID license? I thought microsoft was touting that they
would be giving the new OS to users of pirated copies of windows as well?

Is windows 10 going to be free "during" the first year or free "for" the first year?

Meaning, if you get it during the first year of it's release you "have it for life" OR
if you get it during the first year, the first year of usage is free? Big difference?

Lastly,

With the "free" upgrade "for/during the first year" will ALL of the free versions,
home, pro, business ect... have the current branch update path? Meaning if you
opt to get windows 10 for free, are you stuck with the current branch path even
if you were able to get windows 10 pro?

Microsoft has backed away from the pirate issue. Don't think that is going to happen at all any more.

It is NOT a subscription! You've got one year to take up Microsoft up on a free copy of Windows.

If you do take a free copy home or pro you will only get to update via current branch. If you want to control your updates then you must BUY Windows 10 Professional.

 

[brandonkick]

Well, I don't see why they backed away from the pirated os issue.

I can actually see a scenario in which they can market this, and not appear
to endorse software piracy. A perfect example is one in which joe schmoe takes
his PC to a backwoods repair shop that re installs "winders" for $25. So now
while Joe may have been perfectly legal before with his dell desktop, he now
has a pirated copy and may not even know it.

In that scenario, giving the free update makes sense. Poor Joe gets justice
and microsoft can offer that "out" to less than honest users without appear to
be supportive of it.

I didn't think it was going to be a subscription, but it wasn't clear to me in the
wording. Thanks for clearing that up.

Bummer about the free editions being current branch only. I do have a premium MSDN
account through my software engineering job... hopefully they have windows 10 licenses
on there. I don't know why they wouldn't... I think 7 and 8 are both on there currently.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I don't think they have to endorse piracy at all. They just give it away to anyone that asks for it. They are pretty much doing so now. If your computer can install the GWX update you will qualify for the free upgrade.

 

[A/CPC]

Current Branch means that any updates and new features will roll out immediately and you don't get the choice to refuse them. Full automatic updates and the adding of new features.

I have to believe that the majority of people will be CB. I guess that means waiting hours for a client machine to get updated rather than using wsus.

Of course, after hearing about the 'free' upgrade, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. It was said way back in the Vista tech beta groups that subscription was the direction MS was going. Maybe it's free for a year because after that, MS will hit us with the subscription fees. I can't see this going any other way. Big money in subs...when you consider that many of us use our OS's for several years. if MS can charge at or close to the normal retail price per year (or even 1/2 that), that's a lot of money in MS coffers, as they are likely experiencing with Office 365 now.

 

[NYJimbo]

I have to believe that the majority of people will be CB. I guess that means waiting hours for a client machine to get updated rather than using wsus.

Can you imagine trying to work on a machine that needs to be connected to the internet and the stupid WU keeps running and doing its own thing without asking you if you want it to ? The last thing I need is to fix somebodies internet on their computer and then go to do more stuff and suddenly WU wakes up and starts downloading and installing 20 updates. Our tech tools are going to have to come up with a tweak to shutdown the whole windows update service thing each time we work on a machine or we will have no control.

I've said it before, people will bitch about this and MS will have to go back to making it optional.

 

[A/CPC]

Can you imagine trying to work on a machine that needs to be connected to the internet and the stupid WU keeps running and doing its own thing without asking you if you want it to ?

Yes. I experience it from time to time when I forget to disable update while working on a machine and have to reboot...whoops, there's the update shutdown...

I can't see this update model working. It will cause too many issues. As you mention, MS will have to backpedal again. And for the record, I'm not an 'MS dissenter', but I don't trust this big push to windows 10.

 

[glennd]

I reckon about half my customers are on mobile broadband or satellite and the windows updates going all the time would pretty much make their internet unusable. I've had a number of customers bring me their brand new computer complaining the internet is going badly only to find windows update sucked up their entire month's quota on the first day.

 

[NYJimbo]

Yes. I experience it from time to time when I forget to disable update while working on a machine and have to reboot...whoops, there's the update shutdown...

I can't see this update model working. It will cause too many issues. As you mention, MS will have to backpedal again. And for the record, I'm not an 'MS dissenter', but I don't trust this big push to windows 10.

Well, only six more weeks before the nightmare begins.......

 

[TechLady]

This looks useful: http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-turn-your-windows-10-upgrade-into-an-iso

 

[TechLady]

I've said it before, people will bitch about this and MS will have to go back to making it optional.

This seems to be how Microsloth is doing everything these days. Foist something terrible on everybody and then grudgingly reverse course when everybody screams. As opposed to surveys, user testing, ASKING...I don't understand what is so hard about that?

I'm no Apple fangirl but I no longer cringe when clients bail to Apple. Not that Apple is perfect either, but really...I get it.

 

[FremontPC]

I reckon about half my customers are on mobile broadband or satellite and the windows updates going all the time would pretty much make their internet unusable.

Ah yes, code squatting at it's finest.

Microsoft. Beating the crap out of mass storage for decades, for no good reason.

"Where Do You Want To Wait Today?™"

 

[HCHTech]

This looks useful: http://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-turn-your-windows-10-upgrade-into-an-iso

Thanks for that. I have to believe that there will be an ISO-based installation method made available. There just has to be. It just makes sense. Right? Right?